Religious Cults in America

Mr. Ed

Mr. Ed

Life does not deserve my gratitude.
Location
Central NY

1. Branch Davidians Cult​

The Branch Davidian Flag


The Branch Davidian Flag – They are among the most famous cults in US history.

David Koresh – born Vernon Howell in 1959 – founded the Branch Davidians and was the cult’s leader until his death. He joined the Church of the Seventh Day Adventists but they expelled him because of his radical theology. Koresh claimed to be a messiah and that all women were his spiritual wives. Rejected by mainstream religion and wielding a guitar, David Koresh set up a cult: the Branch Davidians.

David Koresh taught his followers that the world would soon end and that Koresh spoke the word of God. The group settled in Waco, Texas where they collected many weapons. There Koresh indoctrinated his followers in his militant ideas and his self-centered sexual teachings.
Koresh’s practice of sleeping with other church member’s wives and marrying underage girls – and the cult’s heavy stockpile of weapons and ammunition – drew unwanted attention to the sect from both the news media and the government.

In March 1993 the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, and Firearms launched a raid against the Branch Davidians’ compound. A member of the group, out on errands, saw the agents and other police driving rapidly toward the sect’s retreat. He called ahead and warned them, giving Koresh and his followers time to arm themselves and barricade their buildings.

When the law enforcement task force arrived they were met with a barrage of bullets. They assaulted the building anyway and 4 ATF agents and 6 Branch Davidians were killed in the exchange of gunfire. Koresh himself was wounded. The ATF then began a 51-day siege of the compound.

Cover for the book 'Why Waco?'


Because of the notoriety of the cult and the loss of life in the initial raid CNN and other news agencies. The news media reported each day how much money the raid was costing the government. Meanwhile public opinion drove newly appointed Attorney General Janet Reno to be strong and decisive in her handling of the fiasco. During the siege a number of wounded cult members, women, and children were allowed to flee into the waiting arms of the government agents.

To break the deadlock the ATF brought in armored vehicles to inject tear gas into the compound’s main building. An unexpected fire broke out and federal agents and local police stood by helplessly as the flames consumed the building. Because of the threat of the cult’s weapons, authorities refused to ask firemen to expose themselves.

77 Branch Davidians died in the fire, including cult leader David Koresh and 20 children.

Second Amendment supporters condemned the federal government for the raid and the siege. At the same time the American public were shocked and appalled by the Clinton Administration’s handling of the affair.

On the second anniversary of the fire and David Koresh’s death, Timothy McVeigh (not a Branch Davidian) used a truck filled with fertilizer-based explosive to destroy the Alfred P. Murrah Building in Oklahoma City, supposedly as payback for the raid. The explosion killed 168 people and wounded nearly 700 others – including many children. The Oklahoma City bombing remained the worst act of terrorism in the United States until the September 1, 2001 attacks by Al Qaeda.
 


2. The Manson Family Cult​

The 1960s gave birth to many fringe groups and movements, including spiritual groups and an “underground” culture that encompassed drug use, civil disobedience, and a lack of sexual inhibitions. While many young people emerged from this period as healthy, successful adults some of them were draw deeper into counter-cultural lifestyles. One group of extremists were the Manson family.

Charles Manson founded a group he called “The Family” in San Francisco in 1967. They were just one of many communes that had sprung up across the country during the 1960s. Manson – a convicted felon – had served jail time before creating his group of followers. He used sex and drugs to seduce lonely, isolated young people to his circle of intimates. Except for a lack of anything resembling a theology, the Family quickly became a cult.

The Manson Family is one of the rare cases of a non-religious cult in U.S. history. Cult leader Manson’s erratic beliefs drew upon ideas from Scientology, Satanism, and other esoteric teachings. Charles Manson prophesied that America would soon fall into a race war he named “Helter Skelter” after a Beatles song. He said the war would be won by the African Americans, but that they would soon turn to white people for leadership. It was Manson’s intention to hide during the war, only emerging later to assume leadership over the victors.

Impatient for his prophesy to be fulfilled, Charles Manson ordered his followers to commit a series of murders, framing African-Americans for the crimes. Over the course of two days 9 people were murdered, including coffee heiress Abigail Folger and actress Sharon Tate, the pregnant wife of Hollywood director Roman Polanski.

The murderers brutally stabbed their victims and left cryptic messages written in blood (“Rise”, “Death to Pigs”, “Helter Skelter”). The American public was horrified at the gory slaughter and the murders became a national sensation. Investigators quickly found Charles Manson, arresting him and several of his followers. He was convicted and sentenced to death, but California banned the death penalty, so he spent the rest of his life in prison.

Some of Manson’s followers remained faithful to him throughout his trial. Lynette Fromme, known as “Squeaky”, was a young, lonely woman when she met Manson in the 60s. He seduced her and declared himself to be the God of Love and Sex. A few years after Manson’s trial she pulled a handgun on President Gerald Ford and was quickly arrested. She spent many years in prison, her life wasted on a meaningless, vicious prophet.
 

3. Heaven’s Gate Cult​

Almost no one outside of their neighbors and community heard of the Heaven’s Gate cult until their reason for being infamous. Not many cults in America become famous after their demise. Heaven’s Gate ended in a sad, misguided attempt to catch a ride on a passing comet. They believed they would make the journey spiritually and so they committed suicide together. Their story enraptured Americans for several days.

News about Heaven’s Gate broke in March of 1997 after the bodies of 39 members of the cult were found in a house. They had killed themselves in the hope of reaching a spaceship they believed was following the newly-discovered Hale-Bopp Comet.

Investigators confirmed that cult leaders Marshall Applewhite and Bonnie Nettles were the founders of Heaven’s Gate. Applewhite had a near-death experience in the early 1970s and claimed to have had a vision. Bonnie Nettles was his nurse at the time. They became convinced they were “The Two” mentioned in The Book of Revelation 11:3 and began to attract followers. Despite their efforts to recruit others to their cause few people ever heard of them or their bizarre claims.

The entire group committed suicide by taking cyanide and arsenic, phenobarbital mixed with pineapple juice, and finally vodka. All were dressed in similar black attire and tennis shoes, with the armband patches that said “Heaven’s Gate Away Team”.

The Biblical reference is to 2 prophets described in Revelation who speak out against the world’s evil sins. They are killed and their bodies left in the open in Jerusalem for 3 days before a voice from heaven summons them back to life and they rise up to be with God. The story is part of a cryptic prophetic vision that has inspired much thought and debate for nearly 2,000 years.
 

4. Peoples Temple Cult​

The Road to Jonestown: Jim Jones and the Peoples Temple


Most Americans were unaware of this group until they began making gruesome headlines. The group was founded by “Reverend” Jim Jones. Like many other infamous cult leaders in history, Jones deceived many people with his blatant reinterpretations of the Bible and his radical ideas. He was an adulterer who seduced vulnerable women, taking advantage of his power over them and their families.

There is little doubt that Jim Jones is the most infamous cult leader in American history. Jones’s ideas owed something to certain Pentecostal teachings. But though he lived in the Deep South he attracted many African-Americans from the 1950s to the 1970s because of his progressive stance on racial equality.

Shunned by traditional church’s the Peoples Temple – as the cult named themselves – relocated to Utah because Jones thought that would be the safest place to survive a nuclear war. The fear of a nuclear conflict between the United States and Soviet Union was very real during the 1950s and 1960s. Civil defense shelters around the country were stocked with food and supplies that might one day feed the survivors of a nuclear holocaust. Jones and other charismatics like him and Charles Manson preyed on people’s fears of war to draw them into their influence.

By the 1970s, the People’s Temple had denominations in Los Angeles and San Francisco, where cult leader Jim Jones developed some political influence. In 1977, the New West Magazinepublished an expose of Jim Jones and the People’s Temple, revealing for the first time that they were a true cult. Jones moved the entire congregation to “The Commune” in Guyana, a socialist country in South America. There he set about creating his own tiny country within a country.

U.S. Congressman Leo Ryan began investigating the cult. He flew to Guyana to meet with Jim Jones. The meeting did not go well for Jones, who realized he would soon be taken back to the United States in custody. He sent some of his followers to murder the Congressman and his entourage as they boarded a small plane. Unknown to Jones and his followers, one of the Congressman’s companions was a news camera man who filmed his own murder.

When investigators found the footage it was played on national television, sparking outrage across the country. Knowing he could not escape U.S. authorities, Jim Jones convinced his followers to commit mass suicide with him. More than 900 members of the Peoples Temple drank poison mixed with Flavor Aid, though some might have drunk the punch at the point of a gun. Investigators concluded that parents forced their children to drink the deadly mixture and entire families died holding hands. A few people were apparently shot. The infamous cult leader did not survive.
 

5. Scientology Cult​

This fifth most famous cult fights against being called a “cult” in many ways. They have been accused of organizing harrassment campaigns against former members and people who investigate the group. The U.S. government’s Internal Revenue Service stripped the group of tax-exempt status in the 1960s and a federal court ruled that founder E. Ron Hubbard’s medical technology was a fraud.

When a religion’s founder is known to have said, “If a man really wants to make a million dollars, the best way would be to start his own religion,” you should beware of that religion. This is what Scientology cult leader L. Ron Hubbard was quoted as saying to a 1948 science fiction convention (while complaining about being paid a penny a word for his writing). Hubbard went on to found Scientology 1952. Scientology was based on Hubbard’s system of Dianetics, which he called “the modern science of mental health”. Dianetics was supposed to be an alternative to modern psychology, which Hubbard claimed was lacking in substance and success. According to those who’ve left the cult, the core tenets of Scientology are hidden from members until they attain a certain level in the cult. The early stages involve manipulation of theoretic life force energy, called “theta”, which represents the true identity of a person.

Manipulation of this force helps one get “Clear”, done through an “auditing” process by higher ranked members. According to Scientology teaching, Thetans are also a race which created the universe for their own enjoyment. However at higher levels, members are introduced to the story of Xenu, a tyrant who rules the Galactic Confederacy. This revelation has caused some members to leave the cult, while the Church of Scientology’s heavy-handed tactics (isolation, lawsuits) have not only kept many members in line, but also served to maintain a conspiracy of silence among former members, for fear of legal retribution.

Some people argue that the Church of Scientology is not a cult, based on its (now-rescinded) recognition by the IRS as a church (for tax purposes). Italy, Spain, Portugal, Taiwan, and a number of other countries extended similar recognition to Scientology as a church. At the same time, the United Kingdom, Germany, France, Belgium, Greece, and Canada all deemed Scientology a cult and refuse to cede its legitimacy.

L. Ron Hubbard’s legacy as a cult leader is less violent but no less mystifying and – some would say – even terrifying than the legacies of other founders mentioned here.
 

6. Unification Church Cult​

The most famous cult from outside of America is without doubt the Unification Church.

The Unification Church might not strike a chord, but this is the cult founded by the Reverend Sun Myung Moon. Born in what is now North Korea in 1920, Sun Myung Moon claimed to have had a vision when he was 16 that Jesus Christ did not finish his work on Earth (having “perfect children”) and that he – Moon – should carry on Jesus’s work.

Preaching on behalf of this new faith in the wake of the Japanese withdrawal from Korea at the end of World War II, he was arrested and put in a North Korean prison camp. He escaped when the U.S. Army overran the camp in 1950 and made his way to America, where he became a Presbyterian.

When he was excommunicated from the Presbyterian Church in 1954, Sun Myung Moon founded the Holy Spirit Association for the Unification of World Christianity. Reverend Moon told his flock that only he could choose their marriage partners (after 7 years in the church), and he became infamous for his mass marriage ceremonies. This among other practices signaled that Moon had established himself as the leader of a cult.

By the 1970s, Moon (a successful businessman) had renamed the cult the Unification Church and moved to New York City, where he gained too much attention. Parents filing lawsuits against the cult, while also publicizing their attempts to deprogram their brainwashed children. This led to a 1982 tax evasion conviction. The Unification Church still exists, though Moon died in 2010.
 

7. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh Cult​

Of all the famous cults in American history, the United States has only been heavily influenced by two. The Bhagwan infuriated American Christians when he declared the Christian God to be false. His cult ranks second among foreign cults to earn notoriety in the United States.

Cult leader Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh was an Indian (Hindi) mystic and guru who had an international following prior to his appearance in the United States. In 1981, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh brought his congregation to Oregon, where it remained from 1981 until 1985.

In 1985, U.S. authorities discovered that Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh’s group had committed a bioterror attack when it unleashed a virus on the people of The Dalles, Oregon (contaminating their food). This terrorist attack was apparently an effort to rig a local election. Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh was arrested and charged with immigration violations, and was eventually deported from the country (21 nations refused him entry to their countries).

At the time of his ascendency in Oregon, Bhagwan Shree Rajneesh had the world’s largest Rolls-Royce automobiles. He was not only one of the most notorious cult leaders in American history, but also the wealthiest.
 

8. Children of God – Family International Cult​

The Children of God were founded by David “Moses” Berg in 1968. After his death in 1994, the Children of God changed their name to “Family International” but they remain one of the United States’ most famous cults.

David Berg was born in California in 1919 and came up in a Disciples of Christ sect. Berg served as a minister in Arizona and in Miami, Florida, before moving his family to Texas. From seclusion, David Berg created a widespread cult following through his writings. The cult continued to operate after Berg’s death, choosing a new leader to guide them.

Though the Children of God espouses Christian beliefs, many churches would regard their teachings to be heretical. The Children of God’s founder preached against moral decay and the belief of evolution, along with mainstream religion, western-style capitalism, the Jewish people, and even pedophilia laws.

In the early phase of the Internet, the story of Merry Berg, granddaughter of David Berg, came to light (through the words of Merry herself). Merry talked of the beatings, isolation, and exorcisms she suffered when she began to question her grandfather’s hypocrisy at age 14.

According to Merry Berg, “Moses” was an alcoholic who sent her to live in Macau with her uncle when she would not repent. For the next several years, she and several other teenagers were forced to live in a teen detention home (“victors home”) to force them to remain cultists. She was eventually placed in a mental institute and drugged.

At age 18 (in 1992), after not breaking, the cult sent her to live with her mother, who was no longer part of the commune. She has since spoken out against this classic cult behavior
 

9. Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints Cult​

The Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is the famous cult founded by current convict Warren Jeffs. Jeffs’ story caused a media circus when it first came to national attention in 2006, after he reached the FBI Ten Most Wanted List. The Fundamentalist Church is one of many breakoff sects from the main Mormon church, due to their excommunication for continuing to practice polygamy. This is what got Warren Jeffs convicted to prison: separate counts of incest and sexual misconduct with minors. Since Jeffs was sent away to prison, it’s unclear who succeeded him as the leader of the Fundamentalist Church.

While some people argue Warren Jeffs’ 10,000 member group isn’t exactly a cult, others claim the entire Mormon faith is itself a cult. I won’t go that far, so I’ll split the difference and suggest Warren Jeffs’s organization displays many of the traditional signs of a cult. Those who saw the tv interviews with the women of the Fundamentalist Church of Latter-Day Saints could see that members of the group had been brainwashed.
 

10. Twelve Tribes Cult​

black-flags-rise-of-isis.jpg


The last of America’s famous cults, the Twelve Tribes, were founded by Elbert Eugene Spriggs, often known as “Yoneq”, in 1971. It seems Spriggs, like most other cult leaders, claimed to have had a vision–in this case while on a Los Angeles beach. Before that time, Elbert Spriggs had been a high school counselor and a carnival barker, two professions which provided him with skills he would later use as a cult leader. Thirty years later, Yoneq was a jetsetting international traveler with palatial home in the South of France, Brazil, and Cape Cod. The reclusive Yoneq has moved his cult about the country several times to avoid scrutiny. In 1984, authorities seized over 100 cult kids in a raid of Island Pond, Vermont, after brutal abuse allegations came to light. Today, the group has at least 7 compounds in New England, but is thought to have a total of 30 worldwide. Among their beliefs is no dichotomy between Heaven and Hell, but instead the “Three Eternal Destinies”.

Certain cult activity doesn’t have an American character, which is why the Raelians and other such groups aren’t on this list. I’ve seen the Jehovah’s Witnesses and Mormonism placed on lists before, but I stop short of labeling these groups as pure cults. I make a distinction between religions groups who shun or ostracize members, like the Jehovah’s Witnesses or Amish, and those who use physical intimidation or brainwashing techniques. A fine line separates cults and churches, but the ones listed above should leave no doubt.
 
Sad times when people are seduced into believing they found the Messiah. Obviously some sort of need is hoped to be met through religion and religious cults that prompts us to seek answers even if the solutions are farfetched and against one's better judgement.
 
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What is it about us humans that have a need to worship or follow the notions of others to make ourselves feel complete? Do people not have faith within themselves to overcome obstacles they may be confronted with? I believe if parents were stable and consistent in positive regard as a family, the possibility of a well-rounded child maturing into adulthood is likely.

Religion and religious cults are common place in world history, yet they do not answer the question why they are needed by us humans? It is comforting to me by faith alone believing God watches over me, but I must admit the whole Christian thing is every bit as far fetched as the worship practices and beliefs from the above cults mentioned.

Perhaps Christianity is less harmful to its followers? Could it be Christianity is bible-based and grounded in God's word as opposed to religious cults and their beliefs?

All in all, I believe each and everyone of us are guided by belief of some kind that ultimately lead us to where we are. No exceptions to the rules.
 
What is it with America and cults? You seem to have pretty much cornered the market.
Australia is not immune but most cults in OZ are not home grown.

There was one that I remember called the Little Pebble cult. It attracted a lot of attention because of a charismatic leader.

William Kamm​

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

William Kamm, also known as "The Little Pebble" (born 1950 in Cologne, West Germany), is the founder and leader of a religious group in Australia called the "Order of St Charbel" (or sometimes referred to as "The Community") named after the Maronite saint Charbel Makhlouf.[1] The Order of St Charbel is considered as a Christian sect and a fringe religious grouping.[2] His religious order claims to be part of the Roman Catholic Church, but the Maronite Church and the Holy See do not regard the group as being part of Roman Catholicism.[3] He was released from prison after serving 9 years of a 10-year prison term for the rape and assault of a teenager.[4][5]
 
These stories always amaze me. They amaze me because I wonder what kind of "nuts" join these cults. Maybe young run-away girls? Many just plain crazies? Why would anyone believe that some nut is the new messiah? It makes me think that there must be a lot of lonely, unhappy people in this world. It also makes me think about the kind of education we have for our children. I wonder if modern media is making people crazier & crazier as the years go by. Maybe this planet is doomed? I don't think anyone has the answer as to why people join a cult? I sure don't but you can beat your last penny that this guy sure wouldn't.
 
I've always wanted to have conversations with these 'weird folk', but when i would asked: ""What's wrong with you?' they would
curtail the conversation.
 
jerry old said:
I've always wanted to have conversations with these 'weird folk', but when i would asked: ""What's wrong with you?' they would
curtail the conversation.
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Maybe instead of starting with "What's wrong with you", start the conversation in a way to get them talking about their belief system. Instead of putting them on the defensive right out of the gate, let them explain who they are and why.

I have only known two or three true atheists so far, and instead of trying to get them to believe the possibility of intelligent design, I simply want to explore their beliefs and how they arrived at these. But then, I don't have a specific belief in a specific God. Instead, I try to stay open-minded to whatever is possible, given that I can't truly know for a fact anything specific about who or what God might be. I do believe in intelligent design just from having worked in technology and realizing how difficult it is to develop the technology we have, which is rather mild compared to all that is around us already in this world, not to mention the incredible complexity of the human body and brain. It is not important to me to convince anybody else of my chosen beliefs, so I am not out to convince anybody to see it my way. I am interested in other people's beliefs and how these came to be though.

Tony
 
Packerjohn said:
These stories always amaze me. They amaze me because I wonder what kind of "nuts" join these cults. Maybe young run-away girls? Many just plain crazies? Why would anyone believe that some nut is the new messiah? It makes me think that there must be a lot of lonely, unhappy people in this world. It also makes me think about the kind of education we have for our children. I wonder if modern media is making people crazier & crazier as the years go by. Maybe this planet is doomed? I don't think anyone has the answer as to why people join a cult? I sure don't but you can beat your last penny that this guy sure wouldn't.
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Teenagers are often very vulnerable to cults. They are pushing against parental authority as they try on freedom and personal responsibility. This can be very scary and oft time they creep back to one or the other parent and try their wings again later. Sometimes they come under the spell of a cult recruiter who tells them their parents do not understand/love them and are completely wrong about everything. This message is most powerful in the ears of runaways and, along with the pimps, cult scouts can be found at bus and train stations waiting for lost teens. Remember "flirty fishing"? I can't remember the cult but it worked a treat and not just on the teens.

What amazes me is that cults also attract mature well educated adults.

My son, who is very intelligent, was also very interested in religion while at high school. Passionate would be a better word. A little too much for my liking. I kept a very watchful eye on people around him who might have too much influence. At age 16, he was invited to go to Tasmania for the Summer holidays to look after the animals at a theological college. I checked it out and found out that it was an organisation dedicated to smuggling bibles into China. My suspicion was that he would be indoctrinated there, away for parental influence and on finishing school would sign up for the program.

I spoke to my minister and he said I was probably right to be concerned and he offered our son a better offer - as a junior youth leader at the annual country children's Summer camp. He accepted and I was very relieved. Son continued to serve as a leader at that camp for quite a few years and Hubby and I later served as camp Mum and Dad where I kept a watch on the younger leaders to make sure they weren't doing any harm to young minds.
 

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